Two ideas AMC has executed for clean river Sabarmati

Ahmedabad, 10 May, 2014

Presented above is picture of Floating Trash Steamer Machine. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has recently purchased this machine at a cost of Rs. 3 crore. The machine has been imported from America. It is used for cleaning of River Sabarmati. This is the first such machine in India used for cleaning of river. River Sabarmati flows in Ahmedabad’s 11-12 km area. The machine is being used for cleaning throughout this stretch. The AMC has built special ramps for this machine near bridges. The machine collects waste and dumps it in tractors.

AMC had carried out two-month long cleaning drive of Sabarmati last year involving 500 workers. Total 200 tonne waste was removed from river in just first 17 days. 15 JCB, 5 trucks, 15 tractors, 3 excavators, 10 pumps, 3 special tankers were used during this drive.

And here is another photograph. There are seven bridges in Ahmedabad city over river Sabarmati. In the past, people used to dump religious and other waste from the bridges in the river. But recently, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation(AMC) has started putting big size pots on footpaths and appealed people to dump waste only in pots and not in river. The appeal has attracted good response and most of the people now dump waste using these pots. The response is so solid at some bridges that the AMC has stationed dedicated sweeper next to pots. Sometimes pots are full to their capacity. The sweeper keep some part of waste outside on footpath till waste collection rickshaw of AMC arrives there. Instead of common waste containers, the AMC came with an idea of specially made pots. Such pots are called Kumbh and believed holy in Hindu religion. It is for this reason that people prefer to throw waste in such pots. The authority has put pots on footpath. People on vehicle find it convenient to stop and dump waste in pot, instead of tedious parking, stop over, walking to the bridge railing and throw the waste from there. The problem is, some pots attract too much waste. If AMC decides to increase their size, then entire footpath may get blocked. Some creative solution is awaited.